Vera Plivova-Simkova had already filmed nearly a dozen children's movies before Mrkacek Ciko, and the respect she holds as a filmmaker in the former Czechoslovakia is once again upheld by this entertaining story. The young son of a diplomat is forced to leave everything he knew in Mexico when his father takes the family back to Czechoslovakia to live. Little Ciko (Filip Menzel) is miserable at first, and blinks when he gets nervous at school, or in new situations, but he eventually makes friends with an adventuresome boy who makes him feel more at ease. The two decide to go off and rough it with some friends and a dog during their summer break -- an activity that is guaranteed to help Ciko adapt to his new environment.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide